Attachment for skinning knives



' H. w. l.. FORTH ATTACHMENT FOR SKINNING KNIVES Apr. 24, 1923.

Filed May lO 1922 Q www Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES Param*l orricie.`r`

HARRYaw. L. IOR'rII,4 or CHICAGO, ILLINoIsVASsIGNo-n To 'swIr'r a COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OEILLINOIS. i

ATTACHMENT FOR SKINNING KNIVES.

v Application led May 10, 15.322. Serial No. 559,891'.

17 o all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY NV. L. FORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im arovements in Attachments for Skinning 1 nives, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to attachments for Skinning knives, and more 'particularly to safety attachments to\ prevent damaging the hide during its removal.

' An object lof the invention is the provision of'a guard arranged adjacent the cutting edge of the-bladeof a skinningknife to prevent damaging the hide by the operator due to changing the angle of the blade during the Skinning operation.

A further object is the provision of a guard adapted to be arranged adjacent the edge of the blade which is hinged-thereto, to permit removal of the guard for the 'purpose of sharpening the blade.

A further object is the provision Ofmeans for normally locking the guard in operative position.

A further object is the` provision of a. guard adjustable laterally to permit proper positioning` with respect to the cutting edge.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation,

Figure 2 is a plan View,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the guard released,

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 5 is a similar view on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a blade having a cutting edge `The upper portion of the blade is provided with a pair of hefts 3 arranged on opposite sides thereof forming a handle. These members are secured to the blade by rivets 4 oi' other suitable fastening elements.

The handle is provided with a pair of projecting ears 6, having a recess 7 arranged therebetween and a hinged guard supporting member S is mounted between these ears. As shown. the supporting member is provided with a pair of ears 9. adapted to be mounted in the recess 7 and a pivot pin 10' extends through suitable openings in the ears 6' and 9. A spring 11 is arranged aroundzthe intermediate portion of the pivot pin, one end of the spring being received in one of theears 9, as indicated at 12, and the opposite end being received in the handle portion. The spring normally tends to move the hinged supporting member 8 to the position shown ink Figure 3 of the drawings.

I A guard 13 is :mounted on the hinged supporting member and is adapted to be arranged adjacent the cutting edge of the blade. As shown, the guard is provided with an edge 14having` a contour similar to the cutting edge of the blade. The guard is provided with a heel 15 having a recess 16 in its lower face for the reception of an enlargement formed' on the supporting member. This heel is-provided with an elongated slot 1`S`and a suitable fastening element 19 passes throughthis fslot and -is received in the hinged lsupporting member. Y 'f Suitable locking means are provided to normally retain the guard in operative position adjacent the blade of the knife. As shown, the hinged supporting member is provided with a locking member 2O having a hooked end 21 which projects through an opening 22 in the blade and is received in a recess 23 in one of the handle portions. This handle portion is provided with a longitudinally extending bore or recess adapted to receive an operating lever 24. The lever is pivotally mounted, as at 25, and the outer end thereof is connected to a block 26 carried by one of the handle portions,

In operation, the guard 13 is closed against the blade and the spring 11 placed under tension. lVhen the blade is closed, the hooked end 21 of the locking member 20 passes through the opening 22 in the blade and engages the blade as shown in Figure 4. This member is made of suitable resilient material to permit it to snap over the blade.

lVhen the knife is to be sharpened, the block 26 is moved laterally of J(he knife handle swinging the lever 24 on its pivot and lifting the end of the locking member. Vhen the hooked end of the locking member passes above the edge of the opening 22 in the blade, the spring 11 swings the guard and supporting member to the open position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. permitting the knife to be sharpened. The guard may be adjusted laterally of the knife through the provision of an elongated slot 18 which permits the guard to be moved back as the blade is ground away in sharpening.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a. preferred example of the comprising a yguard hinged to the knife, au-

tomatic means for locking said guard adjacent the blade of the knife, and means for swinging said guard away from the face of the blade when the locking means is 'released.

Q. A n attachment for sknning knives comprising a guard hinged to the knife, an automatic locking member carried by said guard and adapted to engage the blade of the knife to retain said guard adjacent said blade, and a spring adapted to swing said guard away .from the face of the blade when said locking member is released.

3. An attachment for Skinning knives comprising a supporting member adapted to be hinged to the knife. a guard adjustably carried by said supporting member, a spring to force said supporting member and guard away from the face of the blade of the knife, and automatic means for locking said guard to said blade.

4. An attachment for Skinning knives comprising a supporting member hinged to the knife, the hinge of said supporting member being arranged parallel to the face of the blade of the knife, a guard carried by said supporting member, said guard and said supporting member being adapted to move as a unit away from the face of the blade, a locking member carried by said supporting member and adapted to engage a portion of the blade of the knife to retain said guard adjacent said blade, and a control lever pivotally mounted in the handle of the knife.

5. An attachment for Skinning knives comprising a supporting member hinged to the knife, a guard normally arranged adjacent the blade of the knife.v means for ad-j justably connecting said guard to said supporting member, a spring carried by said supporting member to retain said guard and said blade in spaced relation and means for locking said guard to said blade.

ln testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY NV. L. POR-TH. 

